MANCHESTER, Jamaica – The coroner’s inquest into the death of Mandeville businessman Jason Neil, 33, is set to continue on June 6 following Thursday’s testimony and questioning of two witnesses, namely his father and father-in-law.

It was reported that the businessman committed suicide.

On Thursday, the businessman’s father-in-law described the relationship between Neil and his daughter as “perfect”.
“I never heard of them having a problem,” he said.

The jury, which consists of six women and a man, listened to the two witnesses being questioned by attorneys KD Knight KC and Christopher Honeywell.

Knight is representing Neil’s father Bunny Neil while Honeywell is representing Neil’s widow. Knight questioned Neil’s father-in-law while Honeywell questioned Neil’s father.

The witnesses recalled the events of the morning of December 4, 2018 when Jason Neil was found shot in the bathroom of his home in the upscale community of Ingleside on Julie Drive.

Neil’s father-in-law said he was on his way to play tennis in Ingleside when he was informed of the incident and went to the Julie Drive home.

Neil’s father, Bunny Neil, also took the stand and described what he saw when he went to the hospital where his son Jason was taken.

Police reports are that about 7:00 am, Jason Neil’s then pregnant wife heard an explosion and when she went to investigate, Neil was allegedly seen on the floor with his licensed firearm beside him. He was pronounced dead at hospital.

Last November, the now widow had told the coroner’s court that she was seven months pregnant at the time of the incident and married to Jason Neil for two years.

She spoke of hearing “a loud explosion” on the morning of December 4, 2018 and the subsequent events including finding Jason Neil in the bathroom “on the floor bleeding”.

READ: Tense exchange at coroner’s inquest into death of businessman Jason Neil

Last April, presiding judge, coroner Monique Harrison had granted the application for inquest by attorney Ashleigh Ximines of the law firm Knight, Junor and Samuels, who is representing Bunny Neil, Jason’s father.

Jason Neil, a proprietor of the second-generation family-owned business, Neil’s Auto Service, located on Ward Avenue in Mandeville, was interred at a family plot in Dunder Hill, St Elizabeth.

—- Kasey Williams